“Covered?” Maggie repeated. “But with all the stairs, how could I –”
“Do you trust me?” Peter stood in front of her, the other’s disappearing effortlessly.
“Yes,” she blurted without a second to think.
The King of Neverland grinned and proceeded to cover her eyes with his hands.
Maggie walked through the treehouse with bated breath as the Lost Boys and their King led the way. Her hands were held by some of the boys while Peter walked directly behind her, his warm hands delicately hovering over her eyes. They moved through the house for what felt like hours, her anticipation growing with every step they took. The further they went, the more smells and sounds she began to hear. Perhaps the other Lost Boys were running ahead, perhaps they had brought some food she had leftover from the restaurant. All the thoughts ran amok in her head until the moment they stopped, and Peter’s soft voice whispered in her ear.
“Are you ready?”
Maggie nodded breathlessly.
And his hands fell away like a velvet curtain.
The dining room sat in front of her. The long wooden table was covered with an earthy green cloth, the color matching the vegetation that trickled in from the outside. A golden chandelier lurked overhead, small red flames roasting at each candle. Delicate flowers filled every vase possible and further decorated the table. Ornate plates that had matching cutlery and glasses filled each spot. One head of the table had Peter’s name written on a small white card, and the opposite head had Maggie’s.
The breath caught in the back of her throat. Platters with roasted meats and sauteed vegetables and colorful salads sat at the center of the table. A sweet smelling desert stood as the showstopper, with a plethora of fruits to decorate the top of it. Maggie’s shaking hand reached for her lips, covering her mouth as the emotion began to gather in the corner of her eyes. The Lost Boys were around her at once, with Peter hovering close to her side.
“Do you not like it?” he asked.
Maggie huffed and swiped the stray tear that tried to fall. “No,” she whispered with a shake of her head. “Iloveit. I love every bit of it.”
Dash, his long hair beginning to pop out of the gel, eagerly gestured to the table. “We followed everything you’ve shown us, Magpie!”
“And some townspeople even dropped by to ask if you were cooking,” Scamp added. “Though I don’t think it’ll be anywhere near as good as your food.”
But Maggie didn’t care if it wasn’t as good. They went through so much effort, and it was all for her. To know that they had listened to the things she told them and put them to real use was the greatest compliment she had ever received in all of her life. She remained silent as Peter led her to her seat, entirely mystified when he even pulled the chair out and pushed it back in once she sat. Overwhelmed by their generosity, Maggie simply held her face as they piled her plate high with food.
They went on to serve themselves afterwards, taking their respective seats with eager glances in Maggie’s direction. Once they were comfortable, she took the first bite, letting her eyes close to savour every ingredient, every flavor, every ounce of love they had poured into it.
By the time she opened her eyes, her heart was full and her stomach was grumbling for more. “It’s wonderful,” Maggie told them. “Absolutely wonderful.”
The boys quickly dug into their food. For a few minutes, there were only sounds of munching and noises of pleasure. The Lost Boys and Peter savored their own hard work for a few minutes, their smiles as broad as Maggie’s.
Once they started to converse again, Maggie leaned back in her seat and looked them over. Never before had she felt so loved, so honored, so valued within a household. Even when she found odd places to work, filling the patron’s bellies with goodfood, the most she got in return were a few coins. Though money was good, money wasn’t what mattered most to her. She wanted to know her food made a difference, that her talent meant something to the people she cared about. And as she overlooked them all, Maggie realized that she might’ve already found what she spent her entire life looking for.
“You know,” Dash said with a mouthful of food, “I heard that Vespera is encouraging the fairies to start cooking, too. The whole island’s raging about your techniques.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful!”
Twitch reached across the table to flick something at his fellow Lost Boy. “Dash only knows that because his pretty new girlfriend told him.”
The blonde’s face grew a shade of cherry. “At least I don’t have to worry about my girlfriend trying to steal all my treasure!”
“Whoa,” Scamp raised his fork. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dash pointed like a child across the table. “Twitch’s got a pirate girl!”
Laughter ensued across the table, until the usually timid Dusty leaned back in his seat with an inquisitive look in his bright blue eyes. “That’s quite the gamble you’re playing, Twitch.”
“She’s a good girl,” Twitch murmured with a shrug. “Just cause she’s a pirate –”
“It’s dangerous,” he interjected softly.
Quiet passed over the table until Peter leaned forward, already grinning. “Only thing dangerous is how Twitch has got a girl capable of beating him in a fist fight!”
The tension dissipated immediately. Maggie eyed Peter from across the table with a small smile. Without him, she had no idea as to how the Lost Boys would survive. It was obvious they lovedeach other as family, but without a buffer to settle the moments like that, where would they be, if not torn apart?
